Governor Baker Declines to Sign $20M for CPA Trust Fund Without Amendments
In an unexpected development, Governor Baker has signed the FY23 State Budget, but he did not approve the language that would provide $20 million in state budget surplus funds for the CPA Trust Fund. Instead, he returned that section of the budget to the Legislature with a proposed amendment, which means the $20 million for CPA is still in question. The funding for CPA was one of 41 outside sections in the FY23 State Budget that Governor Baker returned to the Legislature with proposed amendments.
Last week, the Legislature voted to include a transfer of $20 million for CPA in the FY23 State Budget, which was then sent to Governor Baker’s desk for final approval. However, in a corresponding letter sent back to the Legislature, Baker explained that while he supports the $20 million for the Community Preservation Act, he wants the Legislature to also allocate $10 million to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC). The House and Senate now only have a few days left in the session to act on the Governor’s proposal.
The Coalition will continue to report on the situation as new updates are available.